This spring has already seen a flurry of Congressional hearings on many topics near and dear to NTCA's heart, including next steps for setting the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF) programs, particularly the high-cost program, as well as next steps in general for broadband deployment in rural America.
Most recently, Fred Johnson, CEO of Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (Rainsville, Ala.), and Roger Nishi, vice president of industry relations at Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (Waitsfield, Vt.), testified before the Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Congress’ commitment to broadband deployment. They also addressed the importance of future-proof networks and federal coordination of grant funds to avoid overbuilding and reiterated that the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization should focus on those hardest to reach and connect.
In the hearing, “Rural Broadband: Connecting Our Communities to the Digital Economy,” Nishi highlighted why “Congress must ensure that networks, built with precious and limited federal funds, are scalable and stand ready to meet the needs of users today and well into the future.
“Even as certain networks may seem cheaper to deploy initially, it would be a mistake for Congress to think only of what can meet the needs of today,” Nishi said. “These are investments being made to serve communities for decades, and we should expect and demand that the networks demonstrate a capability to do so given the use of federal funds to deploy them.”
Johnson also emphasized that each community is unique and that “the successful deployment of broadband in rural America is not a singular model of identical blocks. It is a tapestry involving the efforts of diverse existing and would-be providers.” Additionally, he said Congress should maintain its focus on those without adequate service today.
“Take note of lessons learned by successful providers,” Johnson said. “It will all go a long way to keeping rural Americans fully connected to our world.”
Christa Shute, executive director of NEK Broadband (St. Johnsbury, Vt.), a partner with Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom in several broadband projects in Vermont and a general broadband provider member of NTCA, also testified at the timely hearing.
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a long-time rural broadband champion and chairman of the Senate subcommittee that hosted the hearing, then made time at the end of the week to flip the tables and head to Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom to spend some time with their team deploying fiber. The senator even spliced some fiber himself. Now that is what I call a political leader putting his time and energy where his mouth is!
And just the week prior, Denny Law, CEO for Golden West Telecommunications Cooperative (Wall, S.D.), testified before the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce on the importance of maintaining and updating the USF to ensure the broadband needs of rural Americans can be and will continue to be met.
In the hearing “The State of Universal Service,” Law testified that community-based broadband providers like Golden West have a strong commitment to achieving the mission of universal service to ensure rural consumers have ongoing broadband access.
“Living in the communities we serve, we see firsthand how the decisions we make and the measures we implement affect our neighbors, friends, and family, and we therefore have substantial incentive to do what we can to make sure they have ongoing access to the best possible communications services,” Law said. “It is essential therefore that the comprehensive mission of universal service and the job of the USF is not lost in the race to connect all Americans. If we only get Americans connected and neglect the ongoing responsibility to keep them connected, this effort will ultimately be for naught in many rural places – and the mission of universal service will fail.”
I had the opportunity to compare hearing notes (or at least eat a grilled cheese sandwich together in the Minneapolis airport) with Denny as our travel plans crossed. It was another lesson on why it’s always good to be on good behavior in airports since you never know who you will run in to. In this case, we had such a mind meld that we were actually seated across the aisle from one another!
Nothing is more powerful than NTCA members telling their own stories of the challenges that face small, community-based providers. I continue to be grateful to members of Congress who have made it a priority to build relationships with NTCA broadband providers and who give them a platform to share their unique perspective before Congress. And even more importantly, I appreciate NTCA members who answer the call and are willing to come to Washington, D.C. often on very short notice, to represent our industry.